the view to be the main event. Beside that, a sitting area with two modern chairs and a glass-top table kept with the minimalistic theme.
Viv’s eyes rested on the basket she’d found upon entering her room last night. She might have assumed it was a standard gift basket for whomever the guest happened to be, but a second glance proved her wrong.
Warmth stirred at her center as she took in the items even then. Two containers of macadamia nuts. One in a jar, another in a canister with a pop off lid. A box of chocolate covered macadamias sat tucked beside the nuts. In a separately wrapped gift sack within, Viv had discovered an assortment lotion, body wash, perfume, and bath bombs, all the same very familiar scent—tea rose.
Boy, had that discovery brought memories in a flash. Smells had a way of doing that, and tea rose took Viv back to her first few years in college. It’d been her favorite back then.
Of course she’d shifted over time, favoring notes of daisies, peonies, and finally, lilac. She liked knowing that Duke remembered the scent of tea rose on her. She liked to think he favored it as well. Still, she opted to stick with the lilac, at least for today.
A small tap came to the door, causing her to straighten up in a blink. “The food,” she reminded herself.
Viv was quick to make her way to the door. Irene, a lovely woman she’d met last night, stood beside a tray of covered plates. The rich aroma of coffee wafted through the air.
“Good morning, Ms. Tripoli,” Irene said. “You’re taking your breakfast in your room today?”
“Yes,” she said. “Come in.”
Irene rolled the cart into the room and went straight to a tall breakfast nook beside the window. “Here? Or you can take it on the patio if you’d like.”
Viv spotted a small table through the glass. Two chairs were tucked alongside. “Yes, please. That sounds perfect.”
Irene grinned. “Good choice. I take my coffee outside every morning in the cabana. So lovely.”
Viv followed her onto the porch, realizing how hungry she was as Irene set Viv’s selections—avocado toast, a side of egg whites and feta, and fresh fruit—onto the table. The coffee was next, followed by the silverware and a bright white mug with what looked like a family crest on it.
“Can I get you anything else?” the woman asked.
Viv shook her head. “No, this is beautiful, thank you.”
“Of course. Enjoy.”
Viv let out a sigh of satisfaction as she reached for the coffee pot. Yet, as she heard Irene wheeling her way out of the suite, a thought came to mind. Tip. Was she supposed to pay one? It was a vacation home, sure, not a hotel, but the idea was the same.
“Wait,” she hollered, hurrying back into the suite. “Can I…let me grab my purse really quick.”
The woman shook her head and put out a hand. “No tip, ma’am, thank you. Duke—he pays us more than we can ask. My husband, Sebastian, and I both.”
Viv nodded, somehow not surprised to hear it.
On the agenda today was the photo shoot—which was one of Viv’s favorite parts of the interview process. Seeing how the subject reacted to being the center of attention. Having people dote over them. Prep them. Some were more used to it than others, but their response always gave Viv some added insight to the soul behind the face. The spirit behind the body. And the heart behind the actions.
A rush of excitement filled her chest. A rush that stayed with her throughout her first cup of coffee as she replayed her conversation with Duke on the jet.
She’d been so confident at the time that the feelings between them were mutually laced with romance. But as Viv started on her second mug, thumbing the crest along the heated surface, her assumption started to shift.
After all, just look how kind Duke was to Tiff, Bruce, and Irene too.
Sylvia’s ugly comment ran through her mind once more, accompanied by the vision of that sneer aimed right at Vivia. “In the end, he’ll end up with someone like me. Just watch and see.”
From what she could tell, Duke hadn’t dated many women outside of that social circle.
A sharp knot formed in her gut at the realization. Perhaps she’d just imagined the chemistry. Interpreted friendship for old feelings.
Viv tipped the coffee pot over her mug for the third time, feeling as empty as the mug in that moment. Duke had been cool about her